Introduction to Candidates for Acton Board of Selectmen: Dean Charter

Acton Forum has contacted the candidates running in the upcoming election for the Board of Selectmen. Dean Charter has submitted the following announcement and introduction and we thank him for his contribution.

I am pleased to announce my candidacy for Selectman for the Town of Acton. If I am elected, this will be the culmination of my over forty years of service to the Town.

I retired in 2015 after 40 years of paid service to the Town of Acton, serving for many years as Municipal Properties Director and Tree Warden. I was privileged to work on many exciting projects for the Town, including serving as project manager for the expansion of Town Hall, renovations and additions to the Memorial Library, the creation of the new Public Safety Facility, and the early stages of obtaining a new Senior Center, among other projects. During my career I had the opportunity to work in collaboration with town staff, committee members, and the general public, and I look back at those interactions as some of the high points of my career.

I believe that I have a unique set of qualifications for the post of Selectman. I have deep roots in the town, and I am the fifth generation of my family to live in West Acton. My wife Marcia and I raised our two sons on the last fragment of the family farm on Charter Road. I graduated from Acton Boxboro in 1968. I hold a BS in Education and an MA in Public Administration. During my career I became a Certified Arborist, and a Massachusetts Certified Public Purchasing Official. And, I know from forty years “in the trenches” just what it takes to get public projects and programs accomplished.

Since my retirement, I chaired the Senior Center Study Committee, and I made the successful presentation at the 2016 Town Meeting that resulted in the long sought for new Senior Center. I am presently serving as Clerk for the Community Preservation Committee, and in my three years on CPA I have worked with the committee to understand and deliver funding for a wide variety of Open Space, Historic Preservation, Affordable Housing, and Recreation projects. As Chair of Trustees of the West Acton Citizens’ Library, I have worked with the committee to keep the library sustainable and relevant. In my recent service on the Kelley’s Corner Steering Committee, I have worked with the committee, staff, and the public to find a way to right size this important project.

Acton will be facing many challenges in the coming years. Regional growth will impact Acton regardless of any changes in our population. The increasing demand for services could outstrip our ability to pay for them under Proposition 2 1/2. Long overdue projects such as the North Acton Fire Station will require a debt exclusion override. Many Open Space parcels may come on the market. All of these challenges require an experienced and fiscally prudent candidate.

Please check out my campaign website at DeanCharter for more information about my experience and qualifications, and to preview my stand on some of the issues.